


Ghost Car

by Jen Hall (Greenlady)



Series: Twenty/Twenty [1]
Category: Starsky & Hutch
Genre: M/M, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-08 20:37:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13466076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenlady/pseuds/Jen%20Hall
Summary: The year is 2020. Starsky and Hutch have been lovers since their Academy days, and their relationship has always been accepted. 'Ghost car' is a primarily Canadian term for an unmarked police car.  It can also refer to a car running without headlights after dark.





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue, July 2015

‘I, Alicia June, take you, Mackenzie Grace, for my spouse. To love, honour, and cherish, until death parts us…’

‘I, Mackenzie Grace, take you, Alicia June, for my spouse. To love, honour, and cherish, until death parts us…’

‘I declare that you are legal spouses together. You may kiss,’ said the officiating clergyperson.

The two young women were already kissing, and the congregation laughed and cheered. Starsky blew into Hutch’s ear, and pulled him close for a quick kiss in sympathy. ‘I’ll go get the Honour Guard together,’ he whispered. 

Hutch, who had given Mackenzie away, went to join Marjorie, who had given away Alicia. The other supporters got into formation behind the new couple, and they all marched down the aisle of the little outdoor chapel. It was a beautiful summer day, and they could hear the surf close by. Great palm trees bowed their heads. Little birds played hide and seek in the bushes. It was almost too much beauty, thought Hutch, but he wasn’t complaining. 

Starsky was waiting in the doorway to the chapel with a half dozen fellow BCPD officers. They held toy swords over head for the newly married couple to walk under. 

Mac and Licia giggled as they ran under the arch of swords, then headed for the Torino. Starsky was going to drive them to the reception in downtown Bay City. He took Hutch’s hand as they walked to the car. 

‘Are we gonna be next?’ he asked Hutch. 

‘Is that a proposal?’ asked Hutch.

‘Oh, Hell, was that ever a cheap proposal,’ said Starsky. He fell to his knees in the gravel. ‘Marry me, Sergeant Beautiful?’ 

The entire wedding party was watching. Mac and Licia cheered and applauded. ‘Say yes, Hutch!’ they offered in unison.

‘See, Hutch. You’re outnumbered.’

‘Starsky.’

‘Is that a yes or a no?’

‘It’s a yes, of course.’ Hutch threw up his hands in surrender and bowed to their audience. Then he turned back to Starsky. ‘If I’m going to be a father, I should be a married man,’ he said softly.

Starsky laughed. ‘Is that your only reason?’ His eyes were twinkling, though.

‘Don’t be an idiot. Drive carefully, okay?’

‘Always,’ said Starsky. ‘Has Mac told you if it’s a boy or girl yet?’

‘I don’t think she knows herself, but if she has a scan, I’m sure she’ll tell me right after she tells Licia. I’ll be happy with either.’

‘Me too,’ said Starsky, and pulled Hutch in for a deep kiss. He walked on to the Torino, and got into the driver’s seat. 

Hutch watched Starsky drive away, before heading to his own car to join the reception. As he walked he thought he heard a screech of tires, and turned to look. A car was hurrying away, up to the freeway. Though he didn’t get a good look, he was sure it wasn’t a car belonging to one of the wedding party or a guest. For some reason, it looked to him like an unmarked police car. A ghost car, he thought.

Chapter One: December 6, 2020

‘The search for Alicia Barclay and Mackenzie Robertson and their four-year-old daughter Grace continues,’ said the reporter. A picture of the little family appeared on the screen. ‘The Bay City Police Department asks anyone who may have any information regarding their disappearance to call the number on the screen. So far, the police say, they have no evidence that the disappearance is related to the recent spate of murders of same sex couples…’

‘Starsky, turn it off!’ 

‘I’m sorry, Babe. I’m sorry. I guess I wanted to feel connected to the investigation.’ Starsky turned the sound down, but left the TV on. One of his compromises, thought Hutch. 

‘I want to be involved in the investigation, not watch it on TV. Starsky, she’s my little girl. God knows what they’re doing to her. I need to find her. I need to find them all.’

‘So do I. But we’re both too personally involved. We’d be hindering the investigation at this stage, not helping. I’ve got other ideas how we can help.’ He pushed Hutch down on the sofa, and straddled his lap. ‘God, you’re so tense. Relax, darling. Close your eyes.’

‘How can I relax? All I can think about…all I can see…’

‘I’m here. I’m here. Don’t think. Don’t see. Listen to my voice.’ Starsky murmured words of love and reassurance until he felt Hutch relax just a little. ‘Better?’ he whispered.

‘Only because of you,’ Hutch replied.

‘Then listen,’ Starsky continued. ‘I’ve been thinking of suggesting to Dobey we start a task force to investigate all those murders of LGBTQ couples. There have been several in Bay City we know of, to say nothing of the cases around the US and the whole damned world. If we head the force, we can help, without being too personally involved in kidnapping of our friends. We don’t know if it’s the same situation yet, but we need to be prepared. Hutch, I don’t want you to be the one who found…’

‘I know,’ said Hutch. ‘But I want to find them alive, not dead. Not like….’ Then he couldn’t talk any longer. 

Starsky knew what terrible images were tormenting his husband’s mind, because they were tormenting his own. ‘I’ll call Dobey,’ he said. At the suggestion that they were doing something useful, Hutch relaxed even more. ‘Lie back and get some rest, we’ll need it,’ Starsky said, and went to make his phone call. Hutch seemed to be satisfied that something was finally being done, and fell asleep in minutes.

December 9, 2020:

It was around noon. They had been working on organizing the task force team. The number of LGBTQ police officers who had volunteered was almost the full quota of the allotted spaces on the team, but Hutch had wanted to have heterosexual members as well. Juggling the lists of members and their duties had occupied his mind for the last few days, and he looked a little less like death warmed over. 

Then the phone rang…

Hutch went charging out the door and Starsky after him. ‘Slow down,’ Starsky bellowed. “I’m driving. Don’t you dare get behind the wheel.’ He opened the passenger side door, pushed Hutch inside and told him not to move. ‘Put your seatbelt on,’ he ordered. Hutch was white as a ghost, but he managed to obey. Starsky turned and regarded the uniforms who had followed them out. ‘Give us an escort,’ he told them. 

He ran around to the driver’s door and got in, starting the car up before the door was even properly closed. Hutch reached around him to pull the door shut, and put his seatbelt on. Hutch turned on the siren and put the flashing light on the roof of the Torino. A distant part of Starsky’s mind was glad Hutch was still sane enough to think of these things, then he turned his entire attention to driving. Two black and whites screamed along behind them.

‘They’re dead,’ said Hutch, in a voice that sounded like it came from a grave. He was silent for a long moment, then he screamed, ‘They’re dead!’ 

‘We don’t know that yet, Babe. Wait to we get there. It may just be a prank call, and if I get my hands on the SOB….’ He turned off onto a canyon road, balancing on one wheel. Hutch stared straight ahead. 

‘It’s for real’ he said. ‘I feel it here,’ putting his hand on his heart. 

‘I wish you hadn’t taken the call.’

‘The caller asked for me. I had to take it. I have to deal with it. Don’t try and protect me anymore, Starsky. I have to face it head on, like we always have. We have to face this shit and fight it.’

‘Yes,’ said Starsky. He noted the abandoned car, parked in the bushes just off the road. It was Mac and Licia’s car, for sure. Hutch was jumping out of the Torino before Starsky could stop him. The black & whites were still screaming along behind them, but they slowed down and stopped. ‘Let the uniforms go ahead,’ Starsky warned Hutch, but Hutch was beyond listening. He ran after his husband and was right behind him when Hutch fell to his knees by Mac’s body.

It looked like Mac, thought Starsky, maybe, if you didn’t pay too much attention to the burns and the bruises, and….

Hutch was throwing up. Starsky felt like joining him, but somebody had to keep their head. The uniforms didn’t look in much better shape. ‘Here’s another’, said Officer Hargreaves. She was young and usually gung ho. Now she ran over to the bushes and threw up, too. ‘Licia was one of us,’ she said. ‘Now it’s murder of a cop, on top of everything else.’

‘Do you see another body?’ asked Starsky. 

‘A small one,’ Hutch commented, in that graveyard voice.

The uniforms searched, but without success. In the distance they could hear more sirens. ‘Hutch, let’s go back to the car, let the forensic team search.’

‘Yeah, sorry for spoiling the crime scene with my vomit.’

‘Hutch!’ Hutch looked up. His face was so pale it was almost transparent, thought Starsky. Hutch got to his feet, and let Starsky lead him away. 

‘He shouldn’t have come along,’ Hargreaves murmured to Starsky after he got Hutch settled back in the Torino.

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Starsky replied. ‘But would you want to try stopping him?’  
Hargreaves shuddered and went off to greet the advancing forensics team and lead them to the crime site.

********

 

There was no other body in the near vicinity, child-sized or any other sized. The forensic team were going over the site with a fine-toothed comb, but Starsky convinced Hutch they should leave.  
‘We can’t help here,’ he said. ‘We’re in the way.’

Hutch neither argued nor agreed. He just stared ahead with dead eyes. Starsky got behind the wheel, without touching him. He didn’t want Hutch to fall apart here. Let them get home first.

The drive back to the city was slower and quieter. The canyons disappeared behind them, and the towers of the city took over the scenery. Hutch didn’t appear to notice any difference, probably because all he saw was the dead bodies of their friends. The police radio squawked: ‘All available units to City Hall square.’ Hutch seemed to wake up. He touched his communicator. ‘This is Zebra Three,' he answered. ‘What’s up?’

‘Zebra Three? Zebra Three!’

‘Yes. Zebra Three. Detective Hutchinson speaking. What’s up?’

‘There’s a riot down town, Sir,’ said dispatch. ‘The news…the news about the bodies found in the canyon…the LGBTQ community…’

‘They’re rioting? I confess to feeling a certain amount of sympathy, but we’ll see what we can do to ameliorate the situation. Hutchinson out.’

‘Uh…yes, Sir.’

Starsky said nothing. He hung a left at the end of the canyon and drove to City Hall. 

There was indeed a riot. Of sorts. LGBTQ people of every gender and colour and size and dress code were out in force. Hastily painted signs. Rocks being thrown. Police in riot gear attempting to close the riot down. The Torino roared into an empty place in the centre of the square. Police and rioters alike backed off, looking shocked. 

‘That was dangerous,’ Hutch commented, mildly.

Starsky ignored him. He jumped out of the car and ran toward the line of cops. ‘Back down!’ he bellowed. A torrent of protests from some of the cops followed. Hutch left Starsky to it, and headed towards the protestors. 

He walked up to a big, burly protestor, who was about to throw another rock. ‘That’s my husband you’re aiming at,’ he noted.

The protestor jumped, turned pale, looked at Hutch, dropped the rock. ‘Detective Hutchinson,’ he said.

‘That’s me,’ said Hutch. ‘Help me calm people down, will you?’

‘Sure,’ said the burly protestor. Soon they had people reasonably calm. Hutch could hear, and feel, Starsky berating the line of riot cops. He didn’t turn to look. He found a good high place in the plaza to face the crowd of protestors and climbed up. 

‘People!’ he shouted. ‘Listen!’ He could hear the crowd commenting. Some recognized him, and most of the crowd turned toward him. ‘I just came from the latest crime scene. I saw the bodies of my friends, Mac and Licia. I sympathize with your desire to riot, and I’d like to join you, but right now we need to stay calm. Their little daughter has been kidnapped. Riots won’t help to find her. She’s only four years old.’ There was a roar of anger from the crowd. ‘I agree,’ said Hutch. ‘I feel the same. Help to find this child. If anyone knows anything…’ 

He saw a TV camera pointed his way, and turned towards it. ‘If anyone out there knows anything, call the BCPD. If you have her, if you are the one who kidnapped her, turn her over to someone who can take care of her. Don’t punish her, if you want to punish me for something you think I did wrong. I’m an adult. I can take you on. Don’t hurt my daughter.’

There was a long silence at this confession, then a deep sob of grief and sympathy. Hands were pulling him down off his pedestal and into the crowd, handing him over to Starsky’s waiting arms.

A reporter ran up to him, mic in hand. ‘Can I get a quote?’ she asked. Hutch just stared at her.

‘Maybe tomorrow,’ said Starsky. ‘Call Metro.’

December 11, 2020

Hutch was quiet. 

Well, of course he was quiet, but Starsky knew the difference between quiet and too quiet, and this was the latter. This was getting on his nerves. He’d rather Hutch yelled and screamed and punched holes in walls. And they hadn’t had sex in days. Well, of course. Hutch was too filled with grief and Starsky understood completely, but that didn’t make it any easier to take. His mind knew the reason. His emotions knew the reason. His body didn’t know anything except that it was frustrated and couldn’t understand what was wrong.

Hutch passed by and murmured to Starsky, ‘Stop looking at me.’

‘Who the hell am I supposed to look at?’ Starsky asked. ’You’re the most beautiful thing in the room.’

‘Starsky.’

The phone rang.

Starsky dived for it at the same moment as Hutch. They fought over it for far too long. ‘Give it to me!’ Starsky yelled. Hutch dropped the phone in shock.

‘Metro!’ snapped Starsky. ‘LGBTQ Task Force. Detective Starsky speaking.’

A woman answered. ‘May I speak to Detective Hutchinson?’

‘No, you may not. I’m Detective Hutchinson’s husband. Anything you want to say to him you can damn well say to me.’ He dived out of Hutch’s way, behind his desk. ‘If you have any new body dumps to report, give me the details, and when I catch you I’ll make you wish…’

‘Starsky, shut up!’ Hutch roared.

Starsky took a deep breath. The person on the end of the line seemed to do the same. ‘I am Mother Judith at the Convent of St. Clare,’ she finally told him. ‘Someone dropped off a little girl about ten minutes ago, and…’

‘Will be right there,’ said Starsky. He hung up. ‘Hargreaves! Mitchison! You’re with us. The rest of you, as you were.’ He headed for the door, yelling back over his shoulder. ‘Hutch! Come on. We may have Grace.’

********

 

Hutch’s eyes were bright with hope. Starsky thought about tearing down the Convent of St. Clare if this were all a prank. ‘Let me deal with it when we get there,’ he told Hutch.

‘Yeah, the nuns are pretty scary, I’m sure. I’ll just hang back and…’

‘Good idea,’ said Starsky.

‘I know things haven’t been very good at home lately…’

‘I don’t give a shit about that,’ he told Hutch. ‘I mean I care, but I care about you first. Let me take care of more of these stupid things for you, okay? Let me answer the phone and shit like that.’

‘Okay. You could wash the dishes more, too.’

‘Forget it!’

‘That’s what I figured you’d say.’ Hutch actually smiled, just a little. Just a tiny smile, but it was heaven to see even that. He’d bomb the entire Bay City if this were a prank.

He pulled up in front of the Convent. There was a nun waiting just inside the front door. ‘Detectives?’ she asked.

'I'm Detective Starsky. This is Detective Hutchinson. Officers Hargreaves and Mitchison.'

‘I’m Sister Charity. Please follow me,’ the nun said.

She led them to a small room… a chapel, Starsky thought. A little girl sat quietly in the lap of another nun. She looked up, saw Hutch and screamed.  
‘Daddy! Daddy!’ She jumped down off the nun’s lap, and tried to run toward Hutch, but stumbled a little. Hutch was at her side in a heartbeat. 

‘Gracie. Gracie. Baby. I’m here.’ Hutch folded his baby in his arms. Bent down over her. Rocked her in his arms. 

Starsky stood for a moment, drinking in the scene. He walked up to them carefully, and knelt down beside them. Stroked Grace’s hair.  
Grace looked up. Her face was streaked with tears. ‘Starsky,’ she said. 

********

They were driving home. Grace was in Hutch’s lap. She hadn’t said a word since that first moment when she’d seen them. The black & white was following, but Starsky thought another car was on their tail as well. 

Hutch must have been alerted by some difference in Starsky’s posture or his double glance in the rear-view mirror. ‘What’s up?’ he asked.

‘I think we have a follower,’ Starsky said casually. 

‘That would be foolish if we’ve got a police escort,’ said Hutch with equal casualness.

‘I agree, but why don’t you alert Metro, ask for a welcoming party?’

Hutch turned and looked out the window of the Torino, caught sight of the tail Starsky had spoken of. Something about it tugged at his memory. An ancient memory. He’d seen the car before. But that had been years ago. How could he think…Grace sat up in his lap. She turned and looked out the window too, following Hutch’s eyes. 

‘Bad car,’ she said. ‘Bad man.’

********

‘Hutch, we’re sorry. The bastard got away,’ said Dobey. 

‘I couldn’t chase after him myself,’ said Starsky. ‘Not with Gracie in the car.’

‘It’s no one’s fault,’ said Hutch. He was rocking Grace in his arms, and didn’t sound terribly upset. 

‘I got a partial license plate,’ Hargreaves offered. ‘A good description of the car.’

Hutch looked up. ‘It’s an unmarked,’ he said. ‘A cop car.’

‘Why was it tailing us then?’ asked Starsky.

‘Good question.’ Hutch got to his feet. ‘I’m taking Grace home.’

‘I’ll get a black & white to drive you, and I’ll join you soon, okay.’

Hutch leaned over and kissed Starsky. ‘I’ll see you then,’ he said. His kiss and his voice held promise. The future already looked a little less bleak.


	2. Chapter 2

Grace was crying. Quietly crying, trying not to be noticed, thought Starsky, but crying.

Hutch stirred in his arms, beginning to wake up. Starsky kissed him, stroked him, murmured, ‘I’ll take care of it, darling.’ Hutch settled back to sleep, and Starsky got out of bed, and pulled on his discarded jeans.

He slipped into Grace’s room, and she looked up at his entrance, frightened. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I wet the bed.’

‘No problem,’ said Starsky. ‘Do you want me help you get dried off and changed?’

‘I’m a big girl,’ she said. ‘I don’t even need pullups.’

‘I know. You’re a big girl, and a really brave girl, and we love you. Do you want me to help, or do you want Daddy?’

‘Don’t wake Daddy. He was really tired.’

‘Yeah. We’ll just handle this ourselves. I’ll run you a quick bath. We’ll put your pajamas in the wash.’

‘And the sheets!’ 

‘Smart girl.’

Starsky had always been involved in Grace’s life to a certain extent, but as a friend, rather than a parent. Hutch told him this was because they were both kids, and Starsky blandly agreed. But really, Grace already had three parents, and there was a limit to how many parents any kid should have to put up with.

Mac and Licia had been her primary parents, but Hutch had shared custody. He was down on Grace’s birth certificate as her biological father -- via ye olde turkey baster method, of course -- and they’d had DNA scans done to prove it, just in case anyone had the balls to try and contest it. They all had wills listing the order in which guardianship of Grace should fall. If both Mac and Licia were dead or incapacitated, Hutch was next on the list. Then Starsky. But no one had thought there would ever be a possibility in hell…. 

Starsky had been fourth in line to the throne. Now he was second. 

He got Grace into the bath and gave her a rubber ducky to play with. She accepted it quietly, as she had accepted everything else he and Hutch had done for her since they rescued her last night. Starsky wanted her to throw it at him, and start screaming and crying, but she was so like her father. Like her father was at heart, he thought. With Hutch, Starsky had methods of breaking down his walls that he could hardly use on a four-year-old little girl. 

There was a sound in the hall outside the bathroom. Grace looked up, alarmed. Afraid, even. ‘Daddy must have woken up,’ said Starsky, in his calm police officer voice. In the voice he used on Hutch when his husband was worried or afraid. He’d never had to use it on Grace before, but it seemed to work. The doctor who had checked her out last night said that there were no signs of actual physical abuse, but of course there had been psychological trauma, and Starsky wanted his hands around the throat of whoever was responsible.  
Hutch peeked in through the bathroom door. He looked rumpled and sleepy but not in too bad shape, all things considered.

‘Mornin’, Sergeant Beautiful,’ said Starsky. 

‘Morning, Starsky. Morning, Gracie.’ He went to the washbasin to splash cold water on his face.

‘Daddy’s still asleep,’ Grace confided to Starsky.

‘Daddy’s awake, don’t you worry, Sweetheart,’ said Hutch. ‘Why don’t you finish your bath and get dressed and we’ll plan our day?’

‘Daddy, I’m sorry I wet the bed. I’m a big girl. I don’t even use pullups.’

‘We know. Don’t worry about that right now. Starsky….’

Their eyes met across the small space between them, as Grace splashed water on the rubber ducky to wake it up. Yeah, Sergeant Beautiful, we have plans to make. Shit to take care of. Tell me what shit you need taken care of, and it will be taken care of.  
********

‘You are taking some time off work. Deal with all this stuff.’ Starsky waved his hand in the air, indicating everything in sight that needed to be dealt with, like dirty dishes.

‘Is that so?’ 

‘It is. Don’t argue. I’ll drop by the place, you know, pick up some of her favourite toys and books and things.’

‘Mommy’s dead,’ said Grace. She shivered all over. 

‘Yes,’ said Hutch. He stroked her hair.

‘I’m so sorry, Gracie,’ said Starsky.

‘You didn’t do it, Starsky.’ Grace looked old beyond her years at that moment, the way children can. Tears ran down her face. 

He looked at Hutch. Their eyes met over the breakfast table. It was a start, thought Starsky. Eventually she would cry, and begin to heal, or something, whatever the hell that meant, though no one ever really healed. No one ever really got over it. You just got toughened, though not, it was greatly to be hoped, deadened.

‘We’ll go out shopping for some of your favourite foods today, Gracie. Is that okay?’ Hutch asked.

‘Okay, Daddy.’

‘You’re going to have a black & white drive you,’ said Starsky. ‘No, no, Hutch don’t argue with me. It’s settled. Hargreaves, maybe? Mitchison?’

Hutch sighed. ‘You’re probably right, all things considered.’

‘Of course, I’m right.’ Some person or persons unknown had kidnapped, raped and murdered Grace’s mothers. They knew Hutch was Grace’s father. They knew what Hutch looked like, and that he was married to Starsky. And Hutch had invited them to come after him. Yes, Hutch’s husband was bloody right. Until this scumbag was behind bars or dead, Hutch was going nowhere alone. All things considered.

Hutch reached for Starsky’s hand and squeezed it. Then he stole a piece of toast from Starsky’s plate and munched on it. This, combined with last night’s tender, quiet lovemaking, was enough to put Starsky’s world back together.

********  
As soon as he walked into the lobby at Metro he was accosted by a uniformed cop. ‘You should check out the front desk, Starsky,’ she advised.

‘Oh, yeah, why?’

‘Someone wants to know where you and Hutch live. We aren’t telling them anything.’

‘Thanks, Collins.’ Great, thought Starsky. Though it was hardly likely a potential murderer would call at a police station looking for the address of his murder victim, but who knew? There were lunatics enough in the world. And anyone they knew or wanted to know had their address and phone numbers. Who the hell was this? He headed for the front desk.

‘Stevens. Someone asking after Hutch?’

‘Yep. Told them nothing. That couple over there.’ The front desk cop pointed to a middle-aged couple sitting in one of the waiting area. ‘Name of Robertson!’

‘Really?’

‘Yep.’

Starsky ambled over to the couple. ‘Hello, I’m a detective here. You asking about Detective Hutchinson.?’ The couple looked up, and any resemblance to a nice, kind middle-aged couple disappeared at the mention of Hutch’s name.

‘You Detective Hutchinson?’ the man asked.

‘I’m Starsky, Detective Hutchinson’s husband and partner, and….’

‘Husband!’ said the woman. ‘That’s disgusting. What’s the world coming to? We’re here to take our granddaughter away from this….’

‘The hell you are. We’ve never even seen you before in all these years, and you think…’

‘Mackenzie was our daughter. She wanted to be a man and we wanted nothing to do with that perversion. We have God on our side!’

‘Good for you. Now, you just get the hell out of my police station and go back to whatever miserable hole you crawled out of….’

A couple of burly uniformed cops headed their way and began to herd the couple out the front door. One of them turned to Starsky, grinning. ‘That’s the trouble with you queers,’ he said. ‘You have to own everything these days. Marriage. Police stations….’

‘Fuck you, Ziggy!’

‘No thanks. Not interested.’ The big Black man sketched female curves in the air. ‘My tastes are different.’

Starsky shrugged. ‘Congratulations. You want I should give you a medal? Besides, it was a whatchamacallit…metaphor. I’m married to Hutch.’

Every cop around roared with laughter and peppered him with mock comments of surprise. ‘No!’ ‘We never knew!’ ‘What a shock!’

‘Okay, guys, enough sarcasm,’ said Starsky. ‘I gotta get to work.’

Ziggy stopped laughing. His face went serious. ‘Listen, Starsk. You should call my brother…yeah, yeah, he’s not to your taste either and you’re married to Hutch. Gotcha! My brother’s husband is a lawyer…and yeah, yeah… you hate lawyers. Gotcha! This lawyer does family law. He specializes in same-sex couples and stuff like that. Who knows? Those two morons might crawl back into whatever hole they crawled out of, or they might not. You know? Here’s his phone number. Tell my brother Joe this is a personal recommendation from me. His husband Ron will be at your door in two minutes if those morons show up again. I guarantee it. Pay him a dollar as a retainer, and he’s all yours.’

‘Thanks, Ziggy. I appreciate it.’ And I hope I never have to use his services, thought Starsky.  
********

‘Where are we headed?’ asked Officer Hargreaves, as they got into her black & white.

‘West Hollywood,’ said Hutch.

‘WeHo,’ Grace added.

‘Good choice,’ Hargreaves commented. 

Nearly half the population of West Hollywood was gay men, as of this year of 2020. A sizeable proportion of the rest were Lesbians and Transsexuals. Everyone knew Starsky and Hutch lived in Bay City, so the scumbags who murdered Mac and Licia would likely be looking for him there. As soon as Hutch showed up on a West Hollywood street he felt surrounded by his own people and protected by their penchant for standing together as a band of brothers and sisters. The first large demonstrations for gay rights had actually happened on the Sunset Strip, two years before Stonewall. He couldn’t live there, he thought. He had little interest in the nightlife, and no interest in cruising. He loved his quiet life with Starsky. But sometimes it felt so good to not be in the minority. 

They got out of the Bay City black & white on Wilshire Boulevard. Almost immediately a couple of gay men walked up to them.

‘Hi, you Detective Hutchinson?’ asked one of the men.

‘Yes, we’re here shopping for groceries.’ WeHo was not exactly famous for its groceries, and the guys grinned at him.

‘That’s cool,’ said the other man. ‘You need any help, any help at all, you holler and every guy on this street will be there.’

‘Thanks. I hope that won’t be necessary, but I appreciate it. This is Officer Hargreaves.’

‘Officer.’ The men nodded at her, and she nodded back.

‘I’m John Simpson, and this is my husband, Charles,’ one of the men offered.

‘This is my daughter, Grace,’ said Hutch. ‘She’s doing fine, we just need….’

‘Oh, honey,’ said Charles. ‘You stick with us, and we’ll find you everything you need, okay?’

Grace looked up at Hutch, and Hutch nodded. ‘Okay,’ said Grace. 

Hutch was glad to note that she hadn’t become afraid of every stranger they met. She was cautious, which was good, but not scared out of her mind. She hadn’t volunteered any information on what had happened to her during the time of her kidnapping, and he and Starsky had not tried to pry the details out of her, but it did appear she hadn’t been extremely abused. That was a mercy, at least. They headed down the street to what their new friends told them was a health food boutique. It sounded a bit expensive, but after the last few days, during which time he and Starsky had eaten very little, he supposed they could afford a treat.

********

‘Starsky? There’s a phone call for you from that convent.’

‘Oh, yeah. They’ve had more kidnap victims dropped off?’

‘Dunno. Why don’t you answer and find out?’

‘Good point, Officer Mitchison. You’ll make detective yet.’ Mitchison grumbled something and handed him the phone. ‘Metro. LGBTQ task force. Detective Starsky speaking.’

‘Detective Starsky, this is Mother Judith. Would you be so kind as to swing by the convent of St. Clare this afternoon for a few moments?’

‘I could do that, Ma’am, yes. Why?’

‘When you get here, all will be explained to you, young man.’

‘Sure thing. I’ll see you soon.’

‘Thank you. Go with God.’

‘Hmmm…’

He was met at the door by Sister Charity, just like the day before. She led him to an office, rather than the chapel, and introduced him to Mother Judith. ‘Please, have a seat Detective,’ said the Mother. 

Starsky sat, wondering how long he could go on with this polite charade before demanding to know what it was about. The loving sex last night had gone a long way to improving his temper, but still….

‘How are things with you and your…husband and daughter?’

‘Fine, Mother Judith. We’re fine. Grace is fine.’

‘That’s…fine,’ said the nun. They stared at each other, each waiting for the other to break.  
Mother Judith sighed. She seemed to look toward heaven praying for strength. Then she broke. ‘I have some information to impart to you, Detective, and I hope and pray you will understand and not… lose your temper as you did on the phone yesterday.’

‘Oh, yeah?’

‘Yes. I understand why your temper may have been a bit strained.’

‘No, you have no idea. You have no idea how strained my life has been lately. I don’t believe people have been carrying out murderous pogroms against nuns at the moment.’

‘That has happened in the past, but your point is taken. My position now is a bit difficult and I would hope you’d give me your understanding.’

‘Sure. You have the person who surrendered Grace to you currently living on the premises. Are you willing to turn him or her over to me? Probably a her, now that I think. Oh, we know. We figured that last night. But we were just happy and relieved to get our daughter back, so we let it ride for the time being.'

Mother Judith appealed to God for strength again, and it seemed to work. ‘You are a brilliant detective, Detective. She asked us for sanctuary, and we felt we could not refuse, but….’

‘But a car has been circling the convent. Whoever is driving is reluctant to invade a convent, but who knows how long that situation might prevail. Gotcha! We've been monitoring the situation.'

Mother Judith sighed. ‘I see there is no use in stalling any longer. Please follow me.’

A woman sat in the chapel where Grace had waited the day before. Her face was bruised and streaked with tears. She fell on her knees before Mother Judith and begged. ‘Please. Please don’t turn me over to them.’

‘I am sorry, my daughter, but we cannot provide you with unlimited sanctuary for such crimes and sins as you have committed. We gave you time to gather your strength and courage and now you must face the consequences of your acts.’

‘Don’t turn me over to this…this pervert. God knows what he’ll do….’

Starsky patted his own chest. ‘This particular pervert will drive you to Metro. I’ll call for an escort there. Would you like to accompany her yourself, Mother, or have one of your nuns go with her?’

‘I’ll go myself, with Sister Charity, if you like, Detective.’

‘Fair enough. When we get to Metro,’ he went on, addressing the woman again,’ you will be arrested, and questioned, and charged. All according to proper procedure, and no one will abuse you. I am taking you into custody. Follow me.’


	3. Chapter 3

The prices at the boutique hadn’t been quite as scary as Hutch had feared. Now they were all walking along the Boulevard checking out other stores, just to relax and get away from the fear and stress of the last few days. John and Charles were friendly and attentive, but Hutch felt no vibes from them that they had any other agenda in mind. He couldn’t stop people from feeling sexual interest in him, but he didn’t like having to put up with being cruised by anyone but Starsky for any length of time. Christine Hargreaves seemed happy with her bodyguard duties. Grace held tightly to his hand, but she seemed to relax in the familiar gay atmosphere of WeHo, which she had visited often with her mothers, and smiled more often. 

They stopped in at a gay bookstore. The proprietor knew them all and greeted them. But Grace grew silent after a few minutes, and started shivering.

‘What’s wrong, Baby?’ asked Hutch.

She pointed at a book on the display stand. ‘Heather Has Two Mommies,’ she said. ‘I had two mommies. They’re dead. They’re dead. I want my Mommies.’

The room was silent. Silent as the grave, thought Hutch. 

‘I can buy you the book,’ he suggested. ‘But you have one at home, don’t you?’

Grace screamed. She turned and started to hit him, sobs racking her. ‘No, no, no. They hurt my Mommy. I want my Mommy.’

Hutch caught her in his arms, letting her hit him as much as she wanted. He could hear murmurs of sympathy and grief all around, but ignored them, while his daughter poured out her grief until she was drained and empty, and they lay on the floor, crying together. 

Someone put a cushion under his head. The bookstore was mostly empty now. The proprietor had made tea, and Hutch sat up and leaned against a chair, so he could balance a tea cup on his lap, his arms still around Grace. Charles came up and sat beside him. ‘You want me to call that husband of yours?’ 

‘Thanks,’ said Hutch. ‘But not right now. He texted me he’s busy with something. I’ll call him soon.’

‘If you feel up to it, John and I want to take you to lunch. You could have Detective Starsky join us.’

‘Sounds good,’ said Hutch. ‘You’re being so remarkably kind.’

‘No such thing. You guys deserve all the kindness the world can give you. We’d be honoured if you’d come to lunch with us.’

‘Thanks,’ said Hutch. ‘I’ll call Starsky when we get there. See if he’s free.’

Someone or other had given Grace a big stuffed dog. Hutch had not seen this happen, so felt no guilt about letting her keep it. Holding it and talking to it seemed to comfort her. They all got settled at a corner table in the restaurant. The manager found a big armchair for Grace and her toy dog to occupy. She was reading ‘Heather Has Two Mommies’ to the dog and crying a little. 

Hutch took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his chair. He was wearing a black turtleneck and his shoulder holster, and got a few looks from patrons, which stopped when some other patrons explained who he was. He pulled out his cell phone and called Starsky.

And got his voice mail.

‘Hey, Babe, quit futzing around and answer your phone. I’m at this really fancy restaurant in WeHo, and there are all these cute guys giving me the eye. Come rescue me? Soon? Bye….’

Before he could hang up, Starsky was on the phone. ‘How many cute guys? Never mind. Remember what we talked about last night?’

‘Yeah, some things, why?’

‘It panned out like we thought. We have someone in custody, and I hope she’ll soon be singing like a canary.’

‘They letting you interview her?’

‘Nope, ‘cause that would be, like, wrong.’

‘Then leave it to the right people and come have lunch with me.’ He added, softly, ‘Grace had a little crying fit and I think that’s a good sign.’

‘It is,’ Starsky allowed. ‘I guess I could take a break. Where’s this evil restaurant? Okay. Be there soon.’

Hutch smiled and gave Grace the thumbs up. ‘Starsky’s going to join us for lunch, okay?’

‘Okay. I want to show him Barney.’

‘Is that his name? That’s a nice name. What do you want for lunch.’

‘A peanut butter sandwich.’

‘One peanut butter sandwich coming right up.’

About ten minutes later, Starsky came in the door. Well, to say ‘came in the door’ would not be to do his entrance justice, in Hutch’s considered opinion. He was wearing his most sinfully tight jeans, and his sexiest black leather jacket. He strutted toward Hutch, and the eyes of every man in the place followed him. Hutch got to his feet, and pretended to be trying to evade him, but Starsky caught him, whirled him around, and dipped him for a kiss.  
They straightened up, and Hutch pulled him tight for a deeper kiss that went on longer than it normally did in a public place. It had been too long since they’d really indulged their deep need of each other, and Hutch was feeling hungry. Last night had taken the edge off, but it would take a little longer until they felt truly satisfied and back to normal. 

Their performance drew some appreciative whistles and applause. Grace had seen all this before and it bored her. She was talking to Barney about silly adults and their mushy kissing.  
Hutch finally let Starsky go, though he held onto one hand as if afraid his lover might disappear. 

Starsky turned to Grace. ‘Gracie, baby, you got a new dog?’

‘His name’s Barney,’ said Grace.

‘That’s a cute name,’ said Starsky. He knelt beside her to stroke her hair and give her a quick little kiss on the cheek.

Hutch bent down and growled something in Starsky’s ear about how he wanted more real kisses soon, among other things, and Starsky grinned. ‘Coming up,’ he answered. ‘Soon.’

They turned toward the table, and the awed looks of their fellow diners. ‘Um…’ said Charles. ‘That was hot.’

‘Naw, naw,’ said Starsky. ‘That was nothing.’

********  
They were back at Metro. Grace was being cared for by a couple of uniformed police officers. She seemed less stressed and afraid since having her little meltdown, and she knew many of the BCPD officers already, since her mother had been one.

‘We got a long, detailed story from the person you took into custody,’ Dobey told them. ‘A Mrs. Wright. She gave us a few names. But I’m sure we don’t have the whole story. She says it was her husband who dragged her into the whole plot. I doubt it, but we haven’t been able to shake more out of her yet.’

‘I’d like to try,’ Hutch suggested, in his softest, most dangerous voice.

‘No. Not a wise suggestion. Hutch, you’re too involved.’

‘I know,’ said Hutch. ‘What’s this going to lead to?’

‘We have warrants for the arrest of several people. A couple of men Mrs. Wright claims raped Mac and Alicia.’ Dobey looked saddened and sickened at the same time. ‘She says that wasn’t the original plan. She says they were only going to ‘punish the evil Lesbians with a beating’ and take their daughter to raise in a more holy environment. After the men raped and killed the women instead, Mrs. Wright began to get antsy over the whole thing. She argued with her husband, and he beat her. According to her, he took no part in the rapes or murders, though. I don’t know. But when she saw your interview at the demonstration on TV, she decided to run. Then, she tells us, she turned Grace over to the nuns, thinking they’d keep her away from you. She got pretty upset when they handed Grace over, I guess.’

‘I guess,’ said Starsky.

‘Oh, by the way?’ said Dobey. ‘Those two nuns want to talk to you, personally. We put them in an interview room.’

‘Thanks,’ said Starsky.

********  
Mother Judith and Sister Charity were waiting patiently in an interview room. Sister Charity had a bible in her hand and was reading aloud some passages about love. When Starsky and Hutch walked in, they got to their feet to greet them.

‘We want to apologize for our part in all this,’ said Mother Judith.

‘Your part? You had no part in all this. You gave me back my daughter. What….’

‘We had nothing to do with the actual evil things those people did,’ said Mother Judith. ‘But… a few years ago, I made some statements. Statements about how gay people shouldn’t have children, and that…I’m sorry…that marriage was between a man and a woman. I hadn’t intended.... I hadn’t known that people could take such words as an invitation to murder. I saw you on TV. I heard your invitation to those murderers to come after you. I saw Detective Starsky take you in his arms and kiss you. Then when Sylvia… Mrs. Wright came to me with Grace, and told me what she’d seen, and quoted my own words back to me…I put two and two together. I still think that true marriage is between a man and a woman, and that it’s best for children to have a mother and father, but I’m ashamed that my words led to all this.’

Starsky hung back, leaning against the wall, watching Hutch. Waiting to see if this interview would cause him too much pain.

Hutch gazed at the nun, silently, for a long time. ‘I thank you for your honesty,’ he said. ‘And for your apology. I believe that you never intended such an outcome. But people rarely do. People think they can express a little safe hate….’

‘I do not hate you, Detective. Please don’t think I hate you.’

‘It may not be your definition of hate,’ said Hutch. ‘But when you define another person as inferior, as less entitled to the benefits of social life, as unloving and undeserving of love in return…. My God, Mother Judith, exactly what would you call that? Don’t get me wrong. There’s no way I blame all this on you. There are so many other people who’ve expressed these beliefs. Have you seen what’s going on in the world lately? Starsky and I were the ones who found our friends’ bodies, and all that was done to them because they were Lesbians and were married and had a daughter. That wasn't the first time this has happened the last decade or so.'

Starsky came up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder. Hutch grew quiet, and leaned back against his husband, his lover.

Mother Judith looked at him with tears in her eyes. She held out her hands to him. ‘I am putting myself in your hands,’ she said. You are the one I have hurt, whether you agree or not. What is your judgement?’

‘My judgement? Mine? Okay. I think you are at heart a good woman, and you and your nuns could do good in the world. I think you should go forth and do it. That is my judgement. Starsky and I need to go home and take care of our daughter and I have dishes to wash from breakfast.’

‘Go with God,’ Starsky added.  
********  
Grace was tired out, and deeply asleep. Thank God, thought Starsky. He played some soft music and danced with Hutch around the living room for a while. Hutch was protesting that he had dishes to wash, but Starsky pushed him into the bedroom, pulled off all his clothes and shoved him down on the bed. 

‘Wow! said Hutch. ‘What are your intentions?’

Starsky started to do a strip tease, in slow motion. ‘I am going to fuck you silly,’ he said. 

********  
Out on the street, the Ghost Car drove by their house, unnoticed.

 

The End, for now….


End file.
